Video Game Themed Costumes

If there’s one thing that kids will always love, it’s video games. From the excitement of unboxing your first console (headphone users beware) to finally finishing the last level in an epic saga, there’s nothing quite like video games.

They’re going as strong as ever, too. Nintendo, the masters of ageless classics, just rolled out Mario Party 10 and the new Mario vs. Donkey Kong title last month, and Super Mario Bros. mashup with Puzzle and Dragons is set for release in May.

Don’t get us wrong, now, because we believe that playing outside and using the imagination can be more beneficial for kids than staying indoors and playing video games. Then again, we played ‘em a whole lot when we were kids, and we turned out basically fine. (Moderation is key, folks!)

If your child loves to game, video game costumes can bring his or her favorite characters to life in the real world. Not only are they great for Halloween costumes, but they’re always awesome to play with, too. Here are some quick and easy video game costume tips:

Minecraft Costumes

First released to the public as an early alpha version in 2009 by Markus “Notch” Persson, Minecraft has grown from a one-man project to a global phenomenon in just a few short years. Last year, Microsoft purchased the rights to the game (and the development company, Mojang) for a staggering $2.5 billion, which probably makes Minecraft the most successful indie video game ever made.

Plus, aside from all of that, it’s just really fun! The sandbox-style, open-world game lets players make their own adventures and build whatever they imagine from a limitless supply of blocks. Do battle with exploding creepers and spooky skeletons, or enter creative mode for a more peaceful experience. Naturally, this life-size-Lego-with-monsters environment is especially a huge hit with kids, even though it’s a game for all ages.

That also means that Minecraft costumes can be a great idea for Halloween! Pair these Minecraft masks – Steve, the protagonist; and Creeper, his mortal enemy – with solid color shirts and pants for an easy costume idea. Steve can just wear an aqua hoodie and some jeans, and the Creeper can be green from head to toe. A green Morphsuit can be a fun way to get that look, FYI, and if you’re feeling really creative, you can turn some old cardboard boxes into a more authentic Minecraft costume. Some people aren’t fans of the Minecraft graphics, but as far as we’re concerned, the big blocks and pixelated squares are perfect for recreating in real life. Steve’s pick axe and sword can be easily drawn on foam board and cut out, too.

Our friends at Birthday Express have also assembled some great ideas for a Minecraft birthday party. It’s totally DIY, so we guess that it’s pretty perfect for the “crafty” ones among us. Click here to check out their blog and learn more – combine a party with costumes for the ultimate birthday experience!

Skylanders Costumes

Skylanders is another hugely popular video game series for kids, and the fifth installment is set to come out in fall of 2015. In the games, players control a variety of heroic creatures infused with the power of one of eleven elements, and do battle versus the evil forces of Kaos. What makes the game really cool is that physical collectible figurines can be used to interact with the game on the screen, and the figures can just as easily be played with on their own, as well.

Our collection of Skylanders costumes includes classic, long-time characters like Spyro the Dragon, Jet Vac, and Trigger Happy, as well as newer characters like Chop Chop and Wash Buckler from Swap Force. So, no matter which game is the favorite in your household, there’s a costume to go along with it.

To see some more photos of our Skylanders costumes in action, click here to read our previous post all about Skylanders and Skylanders costumes. Also, just like with Minecraft, Birthday Express also has a whole bunch of Skylanders birthday party ideas, so there’s another link for those planning parties.

Pac-Man Costumes

Time to step away from all these newfangled consoles and contraptions for a second and go back to the classics. Back in our day, we had to go all the way across town to an arcade if we wanted to play video games – and we liked it!

Maybe not, but video games don’t get much more classic than Pac-Man. Released in 1980 by Namco, it’s one of the few games that are that old and still played today (Galaxian and Space Invaders are two examples of 70s video games that are still enjoyed in more or less their original forms, but even Mario Bros. and Tetris didn’t come out until 1983 and 1984).

Pac-Man makes a great theme for family costumes because of its age, too. Why not share something that you grew up with, with your kids, too? Children can dress as Pac-Man himself or as one of the ghosts while trick-or-treating, accompanied by an adult Pac-Man or Blinky, Inky, and Pinky. Click here to browse all Pac-Man costumes.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Costumes

If you were an 80s kid, then you know that TMNT means classic video games, too! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games were arcade mainstays that became must-haves at home, too, from the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the original Nintendo, to Turtles in Time on the SNES (the latter of which being one of the very best games of all-time, according to many). The best part is that old-school gems like these are still totally playable on the Wii and Wii-U for kids today.

Gaming aside, it’s not like the TMNT trend has died down since the 80s, anyways. Sure, the turtles look a little different nowadays, but the new TMNT cartoon is just as loved by kids as the original was back in the day. Chances are, if your child is down with Turtle Power, parental influence is at least partly responsible! That’s why TMNT costumes for kids and adults make great family costumes for Halloween: it’s something that everyone can have fun with. If you want to learn more about TMNT costumes, TMNT costume ideas, and DIY tips, click here to check out our full article on the subject. Click here to browse all Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles costumes.

Super Mario Bros. Costumes

We can’t talk about video games and not mention the Mario Bros. Mario may not have been the first video game character (also, his name was “Jumpman” when he first appeared in 1981’s Donkey Kong), but we guarantee that he is the best-known video game character in the world. There is extremely reliable scientific data to back that up (no there isn’t).

Anyway, the point we’re trying to make is that you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone born within the last few decades that hasn’t played a Mario game in some shape or form, be it Super Mario World, Mario Kart, Mario Party, or any of his other series. That’s why it’s such a good costume theme – everyone knows it, and everyone loves it. The classic trinity of Mario characters is Mario himself, his brother Luigi, and Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom. Click here to browse all Super Mario costumes.

Sonic the Hedgehog Costumes

The blue blur that’s gotta go fast – it’s Sonic the Hedgehog! For a really long time, Sonic (Sega) and Mario (Nintendo) were huge rivals with each other. As the two leading mascot characters on each of their companies’ consoles, a lot of gaming fans had strong, dividing allegiances between them back in the day. Now that Sega doesn’t make consoles anymore, Sonic and Mario have been playing nicely together side by side in games like the Mario & Sonic series and the two latest installments of Super Smash Bros. – if you pick Sonic, just press B a lot and you’ll do fine.

Our Sonic costume, complete with headpiece, shoe covers, and gloves is great for older kids, but we’re also rolling out a new design for toddlers. It’s more like a romper: soft and plushy and super cute for the little ones. As a bonus, the material is also pretty warm to wear outside in October.

Gamer girls that might prefer more of a feminine look (without going for something like a full on princess costume which we understand might be regarded as “totally lame, mom”) can go for this costume inspired by the Sonic Boom TV show. With a fluffy skirt and coordinating neck scarf, it’s definitely a lot trendier.

If you liked this post and want to see more like it, let us know what you think! Tell us which kind of costume themes we should show off next on Twitter @CostumeExpress or our new Facebook page. Get more costume ideas like these on Pinterest.